I rushed this a bit and i'm more than sure this needs more editing but I felt too impatient to not post this! So there might likely be errors, which I will fix as soon as I can! So bear with me on that please!
This chapter will be pretty intense :P
Enjoy guys!
BRAVE belongs to Pixar not me! I'm simply a humble peasent ;_;
Edit- Fixed it up this time
The next two weeks practically flew by for Merida, minus the boring lessons which felt like she'd never get out of them.
The lords would be arriving early tomorrow and the princess wasn't really looking forward too much of the expected ceramony, in fact, she felt her stomach churn just the thought of such expectations.
Honestly, Merida didn't mind their company at all. But after the clans agreed and respected the decision to break tradition and about their sons finding their own love in due time... she didn't actually think the three young lords would be falling for her at the same time! This matter made her feel uneasy.
She wasn't used to that sort of special attention. It just wasn't her time to confront love yet. She hated being on such demands, as if her duty as a princess didn't give her enough of those.
All these thoughts were making Merida more restless as it was already half past midnight and she was in her bedroom sitting on her bed wearing her white linen night dress, she couldn't sleep. She then reached from her nearby dresser and took out a small wax wick, placed it on a candle holder and lit it. Illuminating a small portion of her large room and held it up to see a better view ahead of her soft bare footsteps. Walking toward her window-still where the black night was adorned with gleaming stars and the crescent moon that bathed the land in its light.
She stayed there for a good half hour, staring up at the sky in wonderment, letting out a soft sigh. Merida prayed to heavens that tomorrow won't repeat what happened six months ago,
"What other mischief could I possibly get myself into this time?" Merida questioning fate, and blew out the small candle wick and off to bed she went drifting to sleep.
Sword in her hand as she was suddenly somewhere in a dusty mountain, her hair was blowing through the foggy scenery as she braced for battle
She was all alone
Her eyes scanned for something, anything
Suddenly a large unknown monster came out of the shadows as it roared so loud it shook the earth to its core
She was ready and so was the beast
She recognized the giant as Mor'du but bigger, and it was spitting out flames with its monsterous toothy roar
She didn't care as she ran into the beast head on, not caring if it meant losing her life and charged with a loud battle cry as the monster opened its mouth to attack…!
"Merida!" her name was then called out from an echoed distance
"Merida! Merida, wake up dear" Elinor entered the room and opened the curtains for her daughter to rise.
Merida was startled by the sudden daylight and let out a muffled groan and placed her sheets over her head, "Morning already?" she said under her sheets
"Come now sweetheart, it's almost time. Be dressed and down for breakfast. The lords will be coming soon and I will be expecting you to be fed and ready by then." Elinor closed he door behind her and with that the queen left her daughter alone to prepare herself,
Continuing to grumble as she got out of her bed, she stood in front of her dresser where a porcelain bowl with a matching pot of cool water had been and washed her face and dried it off.
She looked at herself in the mirror, rubbing the sleep off her eye,
"Well, this is as good as it's going to get…might as well get this over with." she said and got ready for the day ahead of her,
Merida dressed in a long-sleeved dark indigo gown with gold trimming on the edges, elegant teal embroidery curved at the bottom hime and a slit running down the middle exposing the silk part of her dress. Her hair was in a braid with a simple jeweled circlet tied around her forehead. The outfit wasn't too painstaking for Merida not to complain or rip apart this time.
After the family had a quick morning meal together, they went to seat themselves in the throne room. Elinor was dressed in a formal and rather elegant dress, but it was a rich shade of amethyst with her long dark hair tied in golden bands. The king and princes were still the same as they waited for the clans to show up anytime soon now,
"They're a-cumin'!" a guard announced
"Places everyone" the queen announced in her seat as the servants of the castle finished setting the preparations up for their incoming guests,
Merida felt like she was having déjà-vu, she sat there with her arm supporting her head with an unenthusiastic look and ankles crossed.
Suddenly without another thought, the three clans presented themselves, yet again, in a proud march and made it in front of the royal family. The clan leaders with their sons, as they were presented up front and the center of attention.
Merida took a good glimpse at each of the lord's sons - to her, they looked almost the same as they did before. What sort of transformation would you expect after six months?
Young Macintosh looked at the princess finely with a confident smug and a wink having his arms crossed and his sword sheathed behind his back.
Young MacGuffin looked bashfully at the princess trying to make eye contact but instead looked down, each of his hands tied in a fist and his posture was straight
And lastly, Wee Dingwall was spaced out but with a genuine smirk on his bucked-tooth face.
While and after the clans gave a hearty cheer for a few minutes they all seized, Lord Macintosh was the first to speak,
"Your majesties! At your humble request, we have received your notice. I have returned to DunBroch as claimed that your fair daughter is infatuated with my heir and sire!" he replied
But before any of the DunBroch family could say anything, the Dingwall and MacGuffin clans cheered in a union of 'boo's'
"Oi! What rubbish yer talkin' about, Macintosh! It is Wee Dingwall that the princess has taken a liking too!" argued Lord Dingwall
"Lies! You're both out of yer heads! It is my eldest son that has captured the princess' heart! Isn't that right m'lady?" questioning the last clan Lord MacGuffin as he bowed. The clan members and their sons waited for a response to his question,
The king and queen looked at each other in confusion. Was it not their sons that took the liking to the princess? Not the other way around. It took all of Merida's self-restraint not to wail in rage to persecute each of the clan lords for being dishonest dogs. Instead she just looked very displeased taking a look at her mother who took action,
Elinor then stood up as it calmed the clans, before they started another scuffle.
"My lords, please, I am afraid there has been some sort of misunderstanding. Was it not each of you who had sent me notices about your son's who have been taken with the princess?" she asked
"What!" the lords yelled in union and confronted this matter. Elinor was taken back at their sudden and rather loud response, the lords then composed themselvs and explained properly this time with a straight posture.
"Ahem. My queen, I mean no disrespect but I-uh, we have sent no correspondence to DunBroch about anything of that sort of matter." replied Lord Macintosh giving a low bow
"Aye, I concur your highness, we sent out no letters. Only a notice from you, my queen, claiming that we come within a fortnight. Stating the princess has taken a personal liking to our sons. And here we are." noted Lord MacGuffin
The clans nodded and agreed together, the young suitors looked at each other with concern - they had thought the princess asked them to come because she had feelings for one of them.
But Merida didn't understand the situation herself. Her mother wouldn't send the lords any letters telling them lies about Merida wanting to marry soon without her consent. Its unheard of!
Elinor was for once speechless, she didn't know how to explain something she didn't do and looked back at her husband for reassurance, surely this was all a big mistake.
"Then who would send out the misleading letters?" Fergus, asked aloud in his throne.
But before anybody could say a word, suddenly the throne room doors burst open, with a powerful gust of air filled into the throne room, enough to knock down the clan's warriors to the floor.
"It was I!" boomed a deep-throat voice
Most of the men were still disorientated from the blast, but those who regained composure fortified themselves for the sudden ambush only to find a single man standing in front of open entrance doors.
Fergus rushed in front of Elinor, protecting his wife from the uninvited stranger. The prince triplets hid behind their father's throne in fear and Merida looked up to see an aged gentleman.
The lone figure who stood at least 5 ft 8, the clans were to the side as the middle way was clear.
This man was fully clad in a bulk velvet red dress coat, his hood hid his eyes and most of his face well. Showing his cheek bones, thin lips and light toned skin. Underneath his open coat he wore low-end armor like ringmail and studded brown leather vest and had a light built exterior. His hands were gloved and his boots clanked while he began to walk towards the royal family.
The clan's eyed the stranger, and the king snarled, infuriated as Fergus held his wife behind him and unsheathed his sword. The clan lords who were in the corners of the room did the same and readied their weapons.
"Who are you!" yelled Fergus, demanding an immediate answer,
"It was I who sent out those counterfeit letters." the clad stranger replied ignoring the king's question.
Everyone in the room looked at the man in bewilderment, for they had never seen someone who would dare be so bold (and rather rude) to the king and his family.
"You?" asked Fergus, "And why would you do a thing like that now?" his bushed brows narrowed,
"It was a simple pass-time really. A trap to gather the clans together... a much easier plan for me to rid them all in the same room." the stranger spoke in a threatening tone as he eyed the fair queen of DunBroch behind the large exterior of the king,
"Ah, and a pleasure to see you again your majesty," he bowed, being the sudden casanova,"Still as lovely as ever, my darling Elinor..." The stranger spoke as he eyed the couple in front of him "And still with the fool of a buffoon I see."
Fergus' brows raised to the stranger who just insulted and flattered his wife, in front of him!
"Who ya callin' a buffon! And how dare you speak to my wife like that!" the king yelled
The stranger chuckled, a notable feature is his distinctive laugh, "Ah, still with the same temper, Fergus of DunBroch?"
The man unsheathed his hood revealing his face, both Eleanor's and Fergus' expressions were taken back, literally, at the familiar man,
"Ambrose?" they both said,
"Oh, so you do remember me? How quaint. And here I thought neither you wouldn't recognize me." he stopped in the middle of the throne room, slowly the clans began to encircled him from the sides as he stood in the center of the room.
The man named Ambrose was revealed in the dim light above the throne room's cieling - he had fair skin, with a faint scar on his left brow. Slanted dark eyes, narrow nose and a square jaw and thin lips. Short, wavy black hair which looked quite matted. His clothes looked quite plain and dark colored. His most notable accessory was his ruby amulet hanged loosely around his thick neck.
Fergus stood up, facing this man whom he knew
"What ya doin' here lad? You were banished from this country years ago, to never return!" Fergus stated gesturing with his lage arms
Merida was confused, she looked back and forth at the man and her parents
"Dad, who is this man...?" Merida asked
"Aye, he was one of your mother's suitors," her father began explaining his voiced could be heard throughout the throne room, keeping intense eye contact with Ambrose as he did the same with Fergus
"Crayton Ambrose. A madman banished for his misuse of forbidden alchemey. He and I were the ones out of three other suitors who tried against one another to win her hand. However we tied in a sword match and it was your mother's choice to choose whom she'd prefer. And she had chosen me." Fergus finished as he held Elinor's hand that rested on his broad shoulders
"She should've chosen me" Ambrose became angered, "She should have been my wife, Fergus. I loved Elinor since I first laid eyes on her as a fair maiden and since that day I have not forgotten, nor has my love for her diminished. Today I have come back for her...to save her from your kingdom by liberating her from the rule of idiots." Ambrose declared,
Fergus could not believe it. Ambrose was serious about this, which only irritated Fergus more
"That is enough, Ambrose! Leave now while you still have a shred of dignity left! Yer not welcomed in this kingdom or this land. Now get out of my castle!" roared Fergus
Ambrose only cackled menicingly, "Not without my queen I will not" he said his gaze was grave and cold
Elinor gasped as she hid behind her husband, Fergus had enough of this madman,
"Get him!"
The men from each clan yelled as they charged straight for the sorcerer,
"Such fools being led by a bigger fool...how sad." Ambrose then lifted both his arms in the air as he muttered a spell his eyes glowed dark hue, the sorcerer released a wave of his dark spell towards the hoard of men and sent them backward turning each of them to hard cold stone
Fergus took action, unafraid, unsheathed sword
"Ambrose! Let us finish this, once and for all!" and charged at Ambrose
"I couldn't agree more, Fergus" Ambrose just stood there with his head looking down, Fergus aimed to cut Ambrose's head off but suddenly he disappeared as the king's sword sliced nothing but thin air
Fergus looked all around him, he was nowhere
The king then looked up and Ambrose, from above, kicked Fergus' chest as he fell to his back with a loud thud and the sound of his sword fell out of his hand with a clank
"Now Fergus, this time, I win Elinor and your kingdom will be in ruins as I will reign with her as my own queen"
Fergus eyes were wide, he was about to reach for his sword but Ambrose shot out dark magic at him, it encircled Fergus as he yelled imprisoning him into a solid crystallized prison that held him above his throne and became unconscious
Elinor held her palms over her mouth, her eyes began tearing up thinking her beloved husband was dead
"No! No Dad!" Merida yelled, and looked back at Ambrose, her eyes narrowed at Ambrose who only smiled smugly
Now he'd done it...
The princess then grabbed her father's sword that was a few inches away from her feet and pointed it toward the madman,
"Don't you dare come anywhere near my mother you!" she spat
Ambrose giving a devious smirk, "Ah princess," he bowed teasingly, "the last time we met was when I attacked you at the highland"
Merida gasped as she remembered the enormous dragon that swooped down at her in the fields,
"That was you! But you, you were a dragon!" she exclaimed
"One of my better forms yes. My alchemey has its many capabilities my dear."
He eyed the princess from head to toe, "Hmm, as beautiful as your mother but you inherit too many qualities as your good for nothing father…if it were me she would have chosen (chuckle) well let us just say it would have been such a good life."
Merida was disgusted by the aged man but could do nothing but narrow her blue eyes at him in dread as she held the sword shakily,
Elinor then got up and pushed Merida behind her, she would not dare let her daughter go up against Ambrose as he continued to casually walk closer to the queen and the princess who held each other; the triplets were still hiding behind the throne shaking at this fearsome stranger
But before the sorcerer would lay a hand on the women the clan lords got his attention
"Leave them alone ya ogre! Pick a fight someone yer own size!" Lord Dingwall yelled
"Aye!" yelled Lord Macintosh, "Come at us!" as they held their weapons toward him
Ambrose stopped in his tracks, turning his head slowly seeing the clan lords inching closer to him armed,
"Hmm, perhaps I should..." He said confidently
Lords Macintosh, Dingwall and MacGuffin let out a battle cry and charged at him all at once, and with a quick movement his right arm lifted up, and with an open palm a form of sparks struck all three clan lords and turned each of the clan lords into concrete stone.
Their sons cried out to their fathers but it was useless they were sealed in the spell
"Much better. Now, where were we" he then turned around focusing on Elinor who was still in front of her daughter protecting her at all cost,
Finally Ambrose was a couple feet in front of them, he extended his gloved hand towards Elinor,
"Come with me my queen, and I shall bear no ill will or harm to your people or your precious daughter" he said in a soft voice, trying to reason with her
"I would rather die, Ambrose" Elinor said sternly as she firmly held Merida close behind her
"No. Mum, please don't do it!" pleading to her mother, "I won't let you!" as Merida released her grip on her and came in front of her mother. Merida was not going to lose her mother again this time.
"Merida! Stop!" cried Elinor
"Such a shame. A lovely princess like yourself should learn her manners. Step aside milady..." Ambrose gestured his head, warning the red headed princess.
Merida was stubborn and planted her feet firmly in front of her mother, "No!" she yelled forcefully, a hint of her voice shaked in fright in front of this tall man,
Ambrose then crossed his right arm from his chest and with a sharp swing he pushed Merida a few feet away from Elinor to the side forcefully that she collapsed hard on the stone floor
"Merida!" Eleanor yelled, reaching for her daughter but Ambrose took hold of her wrist, gripping her tightly.
The young lords saw this and became enraged. How dare he harm the princess but before they took action and charged at him Ambrose let loose another powerful gust with his left arm and knocked them back to the solid wall of the throne room, each fell to their knees in pain
Elinor gasped as she was overshadowed by Ambrose,
"Ambrose how could you! Stop this madness right now! Please!" Elinor uttered, her pleading brown eyes looked up at him as she struggled hard to let go of his grip.
"Now my fair queen, you will finally join me and forget about this life and start anew...with me." Ambrose's eyes were hypnotizing. He then opened his palm sending a shockwave to Elinor.
The queen suddenly felt dizzy and her vision became hazy. Elinor tried to gain control of her body with all her might but it was too hard to focus
Before her limp body fell into Ambrose's arms, she took a last look at Merida's sprawled body on the floor as the princess struggled to get up
Ambrose placed his gloved fingers on Elinor's delicate cheek,
"We will finally be together, my love. As it should have been those years ago. And to make sure nobody will stand in my way I shall cast a curse upon this kingdom and turn each person to stone."
Ambrose's eyes then glowed bright white and a wave of force and power casted each servant, each guard and person within the DunBroch area and further were casted into stone.
Even the young triplet princes who were hidden behind their fathers throne tried to escape through a passage area, but it was too late, they turned into solid stone along with the rest of their kingdom.
The sorcerer magic then encircled him,
The castle walls showed his shadow exterior transform his human body into a ghastly demon dragon. His hands became claws and his body became engorged and grew bigger and bigger. His pale face turned red and his pupiles dialated, with his back forming larger wings and screetched loud! Similar like the banshee-like sound Merida heard in the fields,
Merida soon recovered and witnessed in a horrifeid expression at Ambroses' transformation,
The dragon monster took a hold of her mother in his monstrous claws and broke through the roof cieling above the throne room causing it to rumble as bits and pieces of bricks came colliding down
"MUM! Mum no!" she cried in a panic tone, "No! Please! Bring her back!" reaching out her arm to her as Ambrose, now a dragon, took her away. Merida didn't think twice as she made a mad dash outside
The young lords who were sprawled on the floor near each other looked up seeing the princess run after Ambrose and followed her pursuit,
The dragon was too fast for her though, but Merida wasn't counting on her feet to catch up on the dragon alone, she headed for Angus. Without a saddle she mounted on him and yelled "YA!" and he galloped with all his might toward the winged beast
However her attempt was futile, even if she had her bow and arrow it wouldn't be able to reach the beast that flew higher toward the mountain area, so high that she could no longer see them anymore
Merida pulled Angus at his mane to stop as her view of the beast was already too far for her to catch up
She watched in pain as Ambrose took her mother away to a far away place she didn't know
Not too far behind the young lords were on their own horses and stopped a few feet from Merida and Angus, seeing their beloved queen being snatched before their very eyes to the sky where the mountains were.
The princess dismounted Angus and walked further ahead a few feet still keeping her focus on where Ambrose disappeared, Merida then fell to her knees
Her expression was wide, and her body became rigid as she was panting and her mist blue eyes tear-swollen eyes began tearing
She collapsed, covering her face with her soot stained palms and began sobbing loud, Merida was mumbling for her mother to come back to her,
The young lords dismounted their horses and came closer to Merida, who did not bother to look up at any of them, seeing her breakdown made the boys uneasy and unsure of what to do, but their hearts were went out to her
Young Macintosh squatted with one knee, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder as she continued to weep
Wee Dingwall and Young MacGuffin looked at each other with hurt expressions. The last time they saw their princess in the same state six months ago, when she was close to loosing her mother as a bear. But this time she was taken
And also, it involved their clans and their own families
What were they to do now? They were the only ones who weren't affected by the sorcerer's hex
The first born children were all alone now
Well at least this time her mom isn't a bear right?
*cricket-cricket*
Ok fine, well at least she isn't alone – she's got the young lords to help her along the way – then again that is the whole point to this story
Very sorry that the villain was a bit Mary-sue …: ( I wanted him to be someone to fear and challenging,…kind of like Voldemort but Ambrose is pretty much a jealous hater
EDIT: a shout-out to my reviewers, yes there is still the process of me coming up with a backstory to my villian and such - i did say i writing this at 2am haha, and the relationship with Merida and the young lords - i am still debating if she should end up with any of them but FOR NOW they will all get to know eachother - i don't want to rush the proccess guys haha easy!
Well until next time guys!
God bless! xoxo
